By Lisa Buie, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Kristen DePante’s company, Grass Roots Creations, produces collectible art, from tiny magnets to large animals, that are painstakingly put together in China with glass beads intricately woven onto wire frames based on her specifications.
HOLIDAY
Kristen DePante and her family were watching an MTV Cribs episode about skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and instantly recognized the beaded geckos on his children's bedroom walls.
"That's us!" they yelled as the camera flashed onto the figures created by their company, Grass Roots Creations.
Indeed, the owners say, anybody who owns any kind of beaded animal artwork probably got it from the Pasco County business, whether they realize it or not. It is one of the few companies — if not the only one — that makes figures from wire frames and glass beads. Its retailers include Disney, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, Hallmark, Tampa ...